At the meeting, Hans-Peter Friedrich noted that relations between Russia and Germany are in a state of ”stable differences“, but common long-term goals are more important, and he also pointed out the importance of maintaining good neighborly relations between countries to maintain stability in Europe.
Chairman of the Committee on Energy Pavel Zavalnyi
Zavalny
Pavel Nikolaevich
expressed regret that today Russia is not perceived as part of Europe, but only as a neighbor. Building relations with Germany and the EU countries throughout modern history Russia proceeded precisely from the fact that we are all members of a single pan-European area from Vladivostok to Lisbon. “Unfortunately, today in our relations with the EU we have returned to what we tried to get away with after the end of the Cold War, and this “freezing” was inspired not by Russia or Germany. Russia needs a strong and united European Union as an equal partner in a multi-polar world,” said the parliamentarian.
At the same time, Russia considers Germany to be a strategic partner. The members of State Duma believe that the inter-parliamentary dialogue should be a driving force for the normalization of the political climate.
Members of the Bundestag show great interest in the dialogue with the Russian parliamentarians, contacts of the “friendship groups” are intensifying, and new forms of interaction are emerging.
Hans-Peter Friedrich confirmed that the Bundestag paid special attention to contacts with the State Duma, and the group on inter-parliamentary relations with the Russian Federation is not only one of the most numerous, but also the most structured, with a large number of subgroups devoted to the discussion of specific problems and tasks. It includes two vice-presidents of the Bundestag.
The parties also expressed the opinion that the creation of a “triangle” of inter-parliamentary cooperation between Russian, German and French legislators could be useful, especially since the bilateral relations between these three parliaments are at a high level. This can enhance common European understanding.
